


Dog Days

by harleygirl2648



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: (I promise), Accidental meeting, Cute, Dogs, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hannibal is Not a Cannibal, Inspired by 101 Dalmatians, M/M, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Gestures, because your dogs want you to be together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-11 23:46:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10477296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harleygirl2648/pseuds/harleygirl2648
Summary: 101 Dalmatians-inspired, a little bit. Winston decides that his human pet, Will, needs a mate. So he decides that he's going to find that mate for him himself. And wouldn't you know, a gorgeous purebred Lithuanian hound is looking for a mate for her own pet, Hannibal?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I originally wrote a very basic one-shot of this fic for [#HannibalEverAfter](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9542051/chapters/21905153), but I started thinking about how there was so much to the story that I had no time to get into. Therefore, I'm going to write this out. Nothing like a romantic comedy-style Hannigram, amiright?
> 
> Get your box of chocolates and bowl of ice cream, we're going full-on cheesy rom-com for this

Winston’s pet, Will, was lonely.

Now, he never said this out loud, oh no, Will wasn’t vocal about it. But Winston could tell all the same. A bachelor’s life, it turned out, was not glamorous or full of wild nights and apparent freedom. No, it was downright _dull._ As the only ones in the house were Winston and Will, all they ever did was go on walks to the nearby park, make dinner (homemade dog food was a specialty of Will’s) or stay in and watch TV as Will tied fish lures. Will owned a fishing shop, and if he wasn’t at home, he was there for most of the day. Sometimes Winston tagged along with his old pet, content to rest in an old blanket behind the counter and watch the shop conduct business.

It was a bit of a hobby for him, to watch the customers and try to pick out the ones who would be a suitable mate for Will.

But _no,_ Will didn’t _want_ one, apparently. It had been at least a year since his last date, and he made no effort to try to set anymore up for himself. About the only person Will was comfortable with was his old friend Beverly, and Winston had given up hope that they would be together years ago. At least they were friends, he thought, licking Will’s hand so his pet would smile and give him a treat before turning back to Beverly.

“Graham, you need to get your ass out of your house,” Beverly laughed, leaning against the counter as Will sorted through the change in the register. Will just snorted.

“I do.”

“Outside of work, errands, and occasionally going out to the bar with me, you don’t go anywhere, you don’t _do_ anything. Honestly, dude, you need a date.”

“No thanks, Bev, Winston and I are happy living by ourselves.”

_No we are not,_ Winston thought. _You may be content to live alone forever, but I’m not._

It was at that precise moment that Winston decided that he was going to find Will a mate himself. Someone to just be there for him, to make him happy, to make him laugh.

Now, _how_ was he going to find that someone?

 

 

Vitalija’s pet Hannibal might act as though he was perfectly happy with his life, but she knew that he felt alone. Yes, he had his fancy psychiatry job, and yes, he had a large beautiful house they shared, but he was alone. He needed something, he needed some _one._

He would never voice it out loud, he was subtle in nature. On the surface, he seemed quite content, humming under his breath as he spent _ages_ creating elaborate dishes for one and equally fancy food for her. He’d host a dinner party every so often, and the house would be filled with laughing, smiling guests. And he would seem pleased, but she’d pad her way down to the library after everyone had left and catch him sitting back in his armchair, nursing a glass of wine as the fireplace was the only light in the room. She’d nose at his free hand, and get a slight smile in return as he would scratch her head and go back to gazing at the fireplace. On some occasions, he’d play long compositions on the harpsichord. Sad ones, Vitalija noted as she would lay at his feet as the vibrations of the music surrounded her as he played.

There was only one thing for it, she thought, watching him eat alone at the table, flipping through articles on his tablet. He needed a mate. It was obvious, she didn’t know why he didn’t realize it himself. Humans were slow like that, she supposed. And Hannibal was rather picky, he’d never find anyone up to his standards if left to his own devices. No, it would have to be up to _her_ to find just the right mate for him.

If only she knew where to _find_ such a human.

 

 

Winston pressed his forehead against the window, watching the other dogs and their pets pass by on the street in front of the home he shared with Will. He was determined to find someone for his pet, and he guessed that the best place to start would be on their very own street. Well, it would seem that dogs aren’t really the best judge of what their humans find attractive in their mates, but he could certainly _try._ He carefully examined every human as they walked past.

A young girl with a poodle. _Too young._

A couple, holding each other's hands, walking Yorkies and laughing. _All taken, it would seem._

A particularly snobby-looking man with a yappy little Chihuahua barking at everything in sight. _No, far too annoying._

A redheaded woman with a proud collie, practically strutting down the street. _No, not them, they weren’t good enough for Will._

Winston sighed, and rested his head on the windowsill. It was a problem, a real problem, he sighed, slumping down in defeat.

When suddenly, he saw something that made him stand straight up on his hind legs.

What did he see? An absolutely _beautiful_ Lithuanian hound, scratching behind her ear when she caught him looking from his window. She wagged her tail at him, and he pawed at the glass. She was lovely, and she liked him, she was perfect. Curious, he looked over at her pet. And, well, you know what, he was a handsome man, to boot. He’d be _just_ Will’s type, Winston was sure of it. They’d be a good match. He and the Lithuanian hound kept staring at each other until her pet finished the notes he had been writing in his sketchbook and gently tugged at her leash until she yipped, making him smile as he scratched behind her ear and then - _oh no!_ They were walking away! Winston pressed his face as much as he could against the glass and luckily caught the sight of them entering the park. Perfect, that was a perfect meeting place.

He pulled away from the glass and made a beeline for the front door, snatching his leash off the hook and racing to where Will was tying his fish ties. He dropped the leash and barked, kept barking as he nudged Will’s leg.

“What is it, boy?” Will asked, a little confused as he scratched behind Winston’s ear. “You need a walk?”

A bark.

“It’s a little early, isn't it?”

This time, Winston resorted to whining, a tactic that usually got him what he wanted. Will laughed, getting up from his chair and stretching his neck out before heading towards the door, picking up the book he was currently reading so he could read it in the park.

“Alright, Winston,” he whistled, and the dog accrued over excitedly, letting Will attach the leash to his collar. “Let’s go, boy.”

Winston practically dragged him down the street to the park, ready to introduce Will to the beautiful dog’s equally beautiful owner.


	2. Chapter 2

“Okay, _okay,_ Winston, slow down,” Will muttered, trying to keep his grip on his dog’s leash. Winston paid his pet no mind as he dragged them up and down the different paths in the park, desperate to find the pair he’d spotted earlier. After scanning the entire park and coming up empty, he was almost ready to give up when when he stopped short, almost causing Will to trip over him.

_There they were._

The beautiful Lithuanian hound sat with perfect posture beside the park bench as her pet sketched in his sketchbook. _Perfect._ Winston straightened himself up, and walked with purpose down the path before them. He stopped as he passed them to share a sniff with the lovely dog.

He noted that as Will tugged at his leash to keep walking, he and the other man shared a glance and a nod. _Better than nothing,_ he supposed as he and Will sat down on the grass beside the pond. Will took out his book and began reading, and it appeared that he was going to make no effort whatsoever to back and talk to the man. Of course he wouldn't, Will didn’t approach people very often. Well, time to stir things up a bit.

Winston crawled into Will’s lap and grabbed the book in his teeth, jumping away when Will reached for it. 

“Winston, give it back, please,” Will said, sounding tired. Instead of listening to him, Winston scurried back to where the other dog, setting the book down on the bench beside her pet before turning back to her. Will came up behind him, taking the book back.

“Sorry,” he muttered. The other man paused in his work, and they looked at each other for a few moments.

“It’s alright,” the other man said gently, and Will nodded as he pulled Winston away from where he was enjoying himself with Vitalija over back to their place by the pond.

Vitalija caught Hannibal looking over at the other man, slightly intrigued, before he went back to sketching. Honestly, it shouldn’t be this _difficult._ They were attracted to each other, they should be talking and enjoying each other’s company by now. Humans were funny like that, they couldn’t just express themselves, _no,_ there was all this pretense behind it. So she got an idea.

She leaned her head into Hannibal’s lap, whining softly as though she wanted attention. He smiled at her, and petted the top of her head with his free hand. While he was distracted, she quickly struck and took the pen out of his hand, sitting back with it in her mouth as she wagged her tail.

“Vitalija!” Hannibal scolded, surprised at her behavior. She was usually quiet, peaceful, an absolute angel. He reached for the pen, but she moved away, running back over to that other dog from earlier. The one with the owner who didn’t care for eye contact, and messy curls that he would be sketching if he had his pen. So he got up from the park bench, and made his way over to his dog. Though he wasn’t exactly prepared for the man to look up from his book and have lovely deep blue eyes. He gestured to Vitalija, and the other man nodded, standing up himself, pulling at his dog to bring him back to his side. Hannibal took his pen back, placing it back in his pocket and hooking Vitalija’s leash back on.

“Come along, Vitalija,” Hannibal said to his dog, starting to walk away, and she followed, whining as she did so. Winston started after her, when Will pulled him back.

“Winston, no,” he reprimanded lightly, turning them in the opposite direction. “Come on boy, we’ll go home and have dinner, okay?”

 _No!_ Winston and Vitalija both thought, _they couldn't leave now!_ _No, they might never have this opportunity ever again, they might never see each other ever again. No, this absolutely could not happen._

Desperate times call for desperate measures, then.

Winston suddenly turned around, twisting Will up so that he didn’t quite have all of his bearings  and then drags him back towards Vitalija’s pet. At the same time, Vitalija pulled back from where she was walking forward, forcing Hannibal to have to turn the opposite way just as Winston dashed over, darting between his legs as Vitalija ran around Will, wrapping her leash around his legs, effectively tangling both men together with their leashes.

“Vitalija, stop it!” Hannibal scolded, as he tried to untangle himself from the other man and feeling horrified that he was flustered. _Flustered,_ that never happened.

“Winston, no!” Will ordered, trying desperately not to blush and definitely not looking the other man in the eye as the leashes got tighter and they were uncomfortably pressed up against each other. He started apologizing, words just running from his mouth, “I - I am so, _so_ sorry, he’s never acted like this, I-”

“It’s - it’s alright, Vitalija, she is _never-”_

They were so busy apologizing and trying to not to look at each other that they didn't even realize how off balance they really were by the side of the pond until the shock of the cold water seeped into their clothes.

Hannibal’s first thought as he sat up was that he was glad they’d had a bit of a drought lately, the pond was barely a foot deep.

His second thought was that his shoes were coated in the pond scum.

And his third thought?

His unwitting swimming companion’s curls were plastered against his forehead as he coughed in shock, and he looked _absolutely_ _gor-_ what _was_ he thinking, exactly? This was a good suit, but no amount of dry cleaning was going to get these stains out, the leather in his shoes were ruined, and yet...

...none of that concerned him nearly as much as the man beside him scrambling to his feet and groaning as he ran his hands across his face.

“Are - are you alright?” Hannibal said, standing up as well as he stretched his neck out, trying to appear in control of the situation as usual. Without thinking or realizing what exactly he thought he was doing, he reached out and brushed the rotted plant leaves from the man’s shoulder, who then turned and gave him an incredulous look.

“I - I’m fine,” he muttered, turning away. “Just - haven’t we ruined each other’s afternoon enough already?” he sighed, reaching into his pocket for a cloth to wipe his face, only to find it soaked.

“Oh, please,” Hannibal said, reaching into for his own handkerchief, folded into a perfect pocket square, “Take mine-” he stopped when he realised that it was drenched as well.

Will looked at both of their soaked handkerchiefs, their hair covered in mud, their wrecked clothes, and he suddenly started _laughing_ at the sheer ludicrous nature of their situation.

And to his amazement, Hannibal found himself laughing as well, and there they were, standing in a still pond, covered in scummy water and snickering like teenagers while their very pleased dogs sat on the dry grass, happy that their plan was starting to work.

“This - this is the _worst_ day of my life,” Will said, laughing enough that he felt like he could cry, “I - I have _never_ been so embarrassed.”

“Neither have I,” Hannibal laughed, failing at maintaining his normal sense of decorum. They both carefully extracted themselves from the pond, and squeezed out their clothes on dry land, still laughing a little bit.

“Don’t we make a pair,” Will rolled his eyes before snickering again. Hannibal couldn't fight his smile as he agreed.

“If I may,” Hannibal asked, curiosity getting the better of him, “What is your name?”

“Oh, yeah, guess we should have introduced ourselves earlier. My name’s, uh, Will. Will Graham,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “What’s yours?”

“Hannibal Lecter,” he replied, extending a hand that was still wet, and then they were laughing again as they shook hands. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“Are you sure?” Will joked, slightly amazed at how easy it was to joke with this man. Falling into a pond together must be a great way to bond with someone. “Because that suit looked expensive.”

Hannibal waved his hand dismissively. “I have several nice suits in case something ever goes awry.”

“Like getting tangled up in a stranger’s dog leash?”

“I had never been so fortunate until today,” Hannibal replied as Will picked up his book from the grass and they walked back over to the bench to retrieve his sketchbook. Their dogs happily trailed behind, pleased that they were finally talking to each other and hoping that they wouldn't be difficult like usual and make things easy for once. 

“If you need me to pay for your dry cleaning-” Will started, but Hannibal shook his head.

“Please, don’t worry, it truly is perfectly alright,” he reassured Then Hannibal reached into his pocket and removed his wallet. The fine leather was going to have splotches, he put that thought aside in favor of removing a few of his business cards from their pocket and handing Will the driest one with a smile. “But perhaps I may pay for-”

“Oh, no, these clothes aren’t good enough for dry cleaning,” Will shrugged, then bit his lip for a moment.

Hannibal spoke up again. “Well...Vitalija seems to get along quite well with your dog”

“Oh, is that her name?” Will said, his face brightening at the pleasant change in subject. He reached down to pet her, and she licked his hand enthusiastically. “She’s a _lovely_ dog.”

“A purebred Lithuanian hound,” Hannibal said proudly.

“Winston is...well, he’s yellow, and I found him on the side of the road when he was a puppy.”

“And he is a _very_ handsome dog.”

“Thank you.” There was a sudden lull in conversation, and both felt at a loss for words but still unwilling to say goodbye. Then Hannibal cleared his throat.

“...You may still have my card if you like,” he offered. Will smiled and nodded, then took the card from his fingers. Then he reached down and picked the sketchbook off the bench, and his fingers brushed Hannibal's chest lightly as he removed the pen. He removed the seventy-five dollar pen cap with his teeth as he flipped the book open to the unfinished sketch of the pond scene and wrote his number in the top right corner. He then closed the book, put the cap back on the pen, and handed both objects back to Hannibal and placed the business card in his book before looking up with another smile.

“While I can’t say the actual meeting was pleasant,” he remarked, and both of them laughed once again, “It was nice to meet you. I, uh, have to get going now, though. I’ll...see you later? Maybe?” he questioned.

“Perhaps,” Hannibal agreed, “It was lovely to meet you. Goodbye, Will.”

“Goodbye, Hannibal,” Will replied, tugging at Winston's leash. “Come on, boy.”

Pleased with the events of the day, Winston nuzzled against Vitalija one last time before happily trotting down the trail as he noted that his pet was in a better mood than he had been in years.

He knew that Will had enjoyed this experience, even if he lightly scolded him at home for behaving like that in the park after a long shower. Especially when he took Hannibal’s business card and placed it inside his own wallet, occasionally taking it out and running his fingers over the lettering as he played with his phone in the other hand.

 

Vitalija was pleased that even though her pet spent an hour in the shower, told her not to act like how she had in the park again, and tossed out the ruined suit, he had been enthralled with Will, she knew it. First of all, he’d had that page of his sketchbook open ever since they got home. Then he ruined his pond scene by drawing a perfect anatomical sketch of a human heart.

And she knew that he interested when he took off the pen cap and placed it on the back of the pen, occasionally taking an unconscious sniff as he drew.

At least humans seemed aware of scenting, she thought, as she rested by her pet’s feet as he relaxed his chair in the library, just holding the pen in his hand. It really was the best way to introduce oneself to a potential mate. Perhaps humans weren't as clueless as she thought.

Now, how were they ever going to meet up again?


	3. Chapter 3

“I’m not going to call him,” Will announced to Winston, who gave him a very unimpressed look from where he was laying on their couch as Will paced around their living room. “I’m not.”

Winston internally sighed. Will had spent the last three days since the park behaving exactly like this, a nervous wreck over potentially calling Hannibal.

“I mean, I have no reason whatsoever to call him. None at all.”

_Maybe call him because you want to, Will, isn’t that enough?_

“Yeah, he gave me his number, but I gave him mine, and he hasn’t called me. He’s obviously not interested. I don’t blame him, I ruined his damn suit, thanks for _that,_ by the way.”

_You’re welcome, it’s how you got his number in the first place._

“So no, I’m not going to call him, that would be stupid and we’d just be embarrassing each other again.”

_You have been going in circles for hours, just c-_

“Fine, I’ll call him. I’ll just call and ask how he’s feeling, he could have caught something, this is just a courtesy call,” Will reassured himself, dialing the number before he could think clearly about what he was doing. Busy signal.

“Fuck, I knew it, I knew this was a bad idea,” Will declared, hanging up the phone and dropping it next to Winston. “There, we tried, we failed, we’re done.”

Winston caught him slipping the business card back into his wallet.

_Liar._

 

 

Hannibal internally groaned, and it was evident on his face as he hung up his phone. “Busy,” he muttered.

Vitalija slumped over the footrest she was resting on, and resisted the urge to roll over right to the floor. She knew her pet, he’d be sulking all night and probably all day tomorrow. He’s waited three days since their little park adventure to _finally_ call Will. Oh, she knew his excuse would be that he didn’t _need_ to call Will, but he’d also been waiting to see if Will would call _him._ Hannibal liked control, but he also liked surprises. Will had been a good surprise for him.

She caught him nearly cutting the tip of his finger off chopping garlic when his phone rang, and disappointment wash over his face when it was just a service call from his phone company. _Sap,_ she thought as she enjoyed her dinner. He’d call Will again, she was sure.

If only he wasn’t _very_ good at being patient.

 

 

Business was a little slow today, and Will had already done inventory, swept the floor, and arranged the displays in the shop and he found himself with nothing to do. Winston  chewed on his favorite rope toy as he watched his pet pull that card out of his wallet again and give him a look.

“Okay, we’ll call him one more time. Just once. And then I’ll throw it away, I promise.”

Winston didn’t believe him as he dialed the number and put his phone up to his ear, running his finger over the raised letters on the card. He sat through the dial tone until it went to voicemail.

_This is Dr. Hannibal Lecter, I’m afraid I cannot answer your call at the moment. Please leave your message after the tone and I’ll respond as soon as possible. Thank you, and good day._

_What am I doing **,**_ Will thought desperately as he left a message, hanging up as soon as he was done and turning back to his dog, who looked pleased.

“If we're lucky, he’ll delete his voicemail. I don’t - I don’t even know what I would say if he called back.”

 _That you want to be together, it doesn’t need to be so difficult,_ Winston thought to himself.

 

 

Hannibal always kept his phone off in his office, no need to set off panic attacks from his patients if it happend to start ringing. In fact, he had completely forgotten to check his phone all day until he had just put the roast in the oven after draining the extra marinade for the sauce. He noticed that he had a new voicemail, and almost dropped the wooden spoon into the warming pan on the stove when he heard the voice.

_“Um, hi, it’s Will Graham, the guy that fell in the pond with you a couple days ago? I just - well, I just wanted to know how you were doing, no lasting injuries or illnesses from the water...yeah, that’s about it. Hope you’re doing well, goodbye.”_

Hannibal was pressing the button to redial the number the second the voicemail ended.

 

 

“There we go, boy,” Will smiled, patting the top of Winston’s head after he poured a generous serving of homemade dog food into the dish by the table. He straightened up and added cumin to the chili on the stove when his phone rang. He answered it with a casual, “Hello?”

“...Hello, Will.”

Will suddenly realized almost too late that his hand was nowhere near the counter when he leaned and almost hit the floor, but quickly saved himself and leaned back in an attempt to relax. “Oh! Hannibal, um, hello.”

“I received your voicemail. I’m terribly sorry I couldn't answer your call earlier, I was with a patient and my phone was off.”

“Well, I’m sorry I called during an appointment, that was-”

“No, no, don’t worry. I am off work at 5:30 each day, if you’d like to guarantee that I answer when you call.” _Was that too forward?_  Hannibal suddenly thought.

“That - that’s great, thanks,” Will replied, slightly amazed at how quickly he was calming down. _“So,_ why’d you call me back?”

“It...would have been rude not to reply to your well wishes and return them to you.”

“Well, thank you very much.”

“...And since you refused to allow me to replace your ruined clothes the other day, I would like to make it up to you by inviting you to dinner this Friday evening.”

Will had to make sure that he heard him right. “Are - are you asking me out?”

“...If you’d like.”

“I...would, actually,” Will laughed into the phone, and nearly did again as he heard Hannibal chuckle as well. “Where?”

“My house at 6:30, if it’s comfortable for you.”

I don’t even know him, Will thought, but finding himself saying, “Yeah - yeah, that sounds good.”

“Perfect.” There was another awkward silence over the phone, and neither wanted to hang up just yet.

“...If you wouldn't mind,” Will said finally, “Vitalija got along well with Winston, I can bring him along if you’d like.”

“That would be...lovely, actually.”

“Great. _Sooo,_ I’ll see you Friday, then?”

“Yes, I will. Goodnight, Will.”

“Goodnight, Hannibal,” Will said with a smile, hanging up and feeling lighter than usual. Even if he had permanently ruined his spoon by leaving it in the chili. Winston wagged his tail, happy as Will told him that they were going out for dinner Friday.

Vitalija was pleased that Hannibal had distracted enough that he had let his sauce bubble over on the stove, and he hadn’t even cared, being too concerned with planning Friday’s dinner.

 

 

Will had shown up at Hannibal’s door at exactly 6:30, having triple-checked that the address Hannibal had texted him was the correct one. He rang the doorbell exactly once and the door opened promptly, and he felt the butterflies in his stomach fade just a little bit at his warm smile.

“Hello. Won’t you come in?” Hannibal said in greeting, opening the door wider so Will could accept the invitation. Will nodded, and stepped in, unlocking Winston's leash.

“Thank you for having us,” he smiled, and Hannibal resisted the urge to move the loose hair in his face himself before Will corrected it, removing his jacket and hanging it on a hook.

“Oh, the pleasure's all mine,” Hannibal said instead, showing him the way to the kitchen. Winston happily trailed behind, and Vitalija got up from where she was relaxing in the light of the sunset from the window to sniff him. They were both happy to see each other again, and deliberately left the room enough so that their pets could speak to each other.

Will leaned against the counter as Hannibal stirred a batter. “This is a beautiful house.”

“Thank you, I try to keep in the best condition. I have a fondness for the finer things in life.”

“I can tell,” Will remarked looking at the pots and pans simmering on the stove. “Is cooking your hobby?”

“More of a passion, I would say.”

“Excuse _me,”_ Will laughed, making Hannibal smile as well. “I didn’t mean to offend you or anything. I usually don’t get fancy when I cook.”

“You enjoy cooking as well?”

“On occasion, I don’t make an event of it. Though I do enjoy cooking the fish I catch, that’s my specialty.”

“Oh, you fish?” Hannibal asked, adding a pat of butter to the sweet potato mash.

“Yeah, I, uh, own a fishing shop downtown,” Will said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, “It’s always been my _passion,_ to quote you.”

“Life without a passion is not a life at all,” Hannibal remarked, removing the pork from the oven and placing it on a heating pad, cutting perfect slices.

“Who said that?” Will asked as he sat down at one end of the table, while Hannibal plated the food.

“Me,” was his response and Will couldn't hold back his laughter as Hannibal set a plate down before him, then took his own seat on the opposite side of the table. “Now, for dinner, maple-garlic marinated pork chops, with a sweet potato mash, lightly dusted with rosemary.”

Will took a bite, and was immediately impressed. “Wow, this is - this is delicious.”

“Thank you,” Hannibal smiled around his own forkful, and conversation lulled in favor of enjoying their meal. But then, they started to speak again, talking about their jobs, how their day went, favorite dishes, a bit about their childhoods. It was a pleasant dinner, with good food and good conversation, and neither could remember why they were ever apprehensive about this.

After clearing the plates, Will was charged with cutting the chocolate ganache cake as Hannibal plated the specially prepared dog food for Vitalija and Winston. They came running and eagerly devoured their meals, only for their pets to start in on another discussion on the virtues of homemade dog food, and how store bought was an insult.

They enjoyed their dessert over a glass of sherry and honestly, neither party truly wanted this evening to come to an end. But all good things must come to an end, Will supposed, as Hannibal offered to fetch his coat as “you mentioned that you work early in the mornings.”

Will nodded, a little, well, disappointed he wasn’t staying _later,_ but he didn’t want to ruin this thing when it just started. And maybe there’d be more later as Hannibal’s hand lingered on his shoulder a little bit longer than necessary.

“Thank you for having us,” Will smiled, whistling for Winston. Vitalija trailed after him, and both dogs were wagging their tails in excitement as they finally saw their pets at ease with each other.

“If you would like,” Hannibal asked smoothly, taking Will’s hand carefully. “I would be honored if you both could join me for dinner again _next_ Friday night.”

“I think we would both enjoy that very much,” Will answered back, a slight teasing edge to his voice. Ever in control, Hannibal pressed a kiss to Will’s hand with a smirk.

He savored the slightly glazed expression on Will's face for a brief moment because then it shifted to an expression he couldn’t quite read before Will was leaning forward and kissing him very, very gently. He pulled away, a smirk of his own on his face.

“See you Friday,” he teased, clipping Winston’s leash on and walking out the door, laughing a little to himself. “Did you have fun, boy?”

A cheerful yip.

“Yeah, I - I did too.”

 

 

Vitalija cocked her head with interest as she observed her bewildered pet. He was staring at the door where Will had left, and he brought his fingers to his lips, resting them there.

She knew that look in his eyes. But usually, it was reserved for the precious artwork in the house, or one of his records.

 _Good pet,_ she thought as she licked his free hand to tear him away from his thoughts. _About time you found someone that could knock you senseless._


	4. Chapter 4

Vitalija had never seen her pet so completely smitten.

Hannibal would never throw around the word _love,_ she'd heard and watched him sneer with disdain when others would say that they _loved_ the food, the art, the decor.

Hannibal loved her, she knew that. And she knew that he loved Will, even if they still hadn't said it to each other yet and they’d had dinner _three times_ now. Honestly, why did humans take so long with these things?

Oh, they loved each other, she could tell, and so could Winston. Hannibal hated it when guests stayed longer than it took for them finish dessert, but whenever Will was over, he took care to drag out their time together.

Will started coming over nearly as soon as Hannibal himself got home, and they’d make dinner together. Hannibal usually didn't let anyone help him, but there they were, chopping herbs and enjoying a long meal that in and of itself lasted for at least two hours. Allow perhaps another hour for dessert and after-dinner drinks, and only then would they even consider saying good night.

And the talking. _The talking._ Hannibal already enjoyed long conversations, and Will responded well to that. You didn't want to disturb them when they were blabbing to each other about the textures of different fish and what paired best with wild salmon, and honestly, Vitalija and Winston were happy to be left on their own to play and nap.

They even had a little game with each other every time they said goodnight. Will had kissed Hannibal briefly before he left after their first date, and Hannibal did not liked being one-upped in his own house. So after their second date, he had rested his hand on Will’s shoulder and gently kissed his cheek as Will said goodbye, enjoying the slightly dazed expression on his face. After the third date, Will had moved first and kissed his cheek before slipping out the door as Hannibal tried to regain his bearings. He was intrigued, happy, it looked good on him. Vitalija was proud that her plan with Winston was helping both of their pets relax.

 

 

It was their fourth date tonight, and Hannibal was never in a better mood as he hummed a little Vivaldi as he combed back his hair and adjusted his suit, smiling as the doorbell rang. He opened the door to Will, who had his hair slicked back, and in a nicer black shirt and pants.

“Dressing up?” Hannibal inquired, letting his hands linger over Will’s shoulders as he removed the dark grey coat.

“Maybe I just have an occasion to wear nicer things,” Will smirked, turning around to lightly shoved him. “You apparently sleep in three piece suits.”

“I do not.”

“Fine, you live in them. Do you even own a t-shirt?”

“Yes, I do.”

“It’s probably some sort of imported cotton from Finland or something,” Will laughed, making his way into the kitchen, Hannibal following behind him. He pretended to look slightly miffed, which only got Will to laugh again. He chuckled a little bit as well, opening a bottle of red wine.

“Pour me a glass, please, doctor?”

“This wine is for the braised sirloin, Will,” Hannibal chided lightly, pouring half of it over the meat.

“Well, we aren’t using all of it, are we?” Will said, raising an eyebrow. Hannibal gave in and poured the rest of it into glasses for them. They clinked them together, enjoying another pleasant evening.

Vitalija wagged her tail as she watched Winston lean up against the coat rack, and carefully remove the car keys from Will’s pocket with his mouth and brought them over to her, dropping them before her proudly. She picked them up, and they both scurried over to her room in the house, hiding the keys underneath her dog bed.

If both of their pets were too proud to ask the other to stay, they’d have to fix it so they’d _have_ to stay there. Honestly, humans were the _worst_ pets. They were cute and all, but they needed so much help with the basics.

 

 

Dinner and dessert were dragged out longer than usual, over several glasses of wine that complemented the already wine-soaked dish. Luckily, both of them had high tolerances, even if Will felt much lighter than usual, and Hannibal could not stop staring at the curl that had fallen out of place and was resting against his forehead.

“I suppose I should let you return home,” he said out loud, disappointed at his own words. Will sighed a bit, then nodded.

“Yeah, I - I guess so,” he responded, walking back to the front door and reaching in his coat pocket, then pulled his hand out, confused.

“Hey, do you have my keys?” Will asked. Hannibal shook his head.

“Did you somehow leave them in the kitchen?”

“Maybe,” Will shrugged, heading back and picking up the bottle they had opened with dinner. “Want another drink while we check?”

Hannibal nodded, extending his glass for Will to top off. They got through two more glasses as they looked over the entire kitchen and coming up empty handed.

“Damn,” Will sighed, setting down both of their glasses by the sink. “Well, I don’t really think I’m sober enough to drive, anyway.”

“I’ll call you a cab,” Hannibal replied, grabbing his phone off the counter to dial the number.

“Thanks. I’ll grab Winston,” Will said, turning around and leaning in at the same time that Hannibal did, and their lips met in a kiss meant to throw the other one off like they always did at the end of these evenings, and they pulled away, both a little confused at this turn of events. Then Hannibal dropped the phone onto the floor and pressed Will hard against the counter as Will wrapped his arms around Hannibal’s neck and now they were kissing, very messily, _sloppily,_ really. Like, hair-pulling, groping, tongue, the works.

“Shit,” Will moaned when they broke apart to breathe, and Hannibal started kissing down his neck. Then Will couldn’t hold back a giggle. “Should have done this earlier, y’ know.”

“Didn’t want to pressure you.”

“Well damn, _doctor,_ I don’t pull out my good shirts for just _anyone,_ what did you _think_ I wanted?”

“You are - _infuriating,”_ Hannibal muttered against his ear, sliding his free hand to his hip. “Absolutely _infuriating,_ and such a beautiful tease, I couldn’t even make myself upset that you ruined an Armani suit that day.”

Will playfully hit him on the back. “You said it wasn’t expensive!”

“I said I didn’t _mind,_ not that it wasn’t expensive.”

“Bastard.”

“Mmm, I’ve been told.”

Will laughed again, pulling him up for another long kiss, letting his fingers grip at the hair at the base of his neck, and he couldn't stop snickering at how a few weeks ago, he was sitting at home on Fridays watching late night infomercials and now he was three minutes from sex on a counter with the man he fell into a pond with. Life was ridiculous like that.

“What is so _funny?”_ Hannibal said in a voice so close to a whine that Will laughed again, in between kisses meant to shut him up. Will finally kissed back, hard, before smirking,

“Just laughing at being caught between a rock and _hard place,”_ he snickered yet again, and it only got louder when Hannibal started laughing as well. And there they were, with messy hair and untucked shirts, making out like teenagers and unable to stop laughing or let go of each other.

“Call a cab in the morning,” Will murmured into the next kiss, practically on top of the counter at this point. Hannibal bit softly at his lower lip as he took his hand, pulling him a little closer.

“I would rather not scratch the granite.”

“You dick, of course you’re picky about that, even when you’re drunk.”

Hannibal smiled again, so fond Will wanted to roll his eyes but instead let himself be pulled towards the stairs. “I believe I would prefer having you in my bed.”

“Took you long enough.”

 

 

Winston and Vitalija woke up the next morning in her fancy dog bed, retrieving the keys and carrying them back to the front hallway, dropping them by Will’s coat. Pleased that their plan was still going along nicely, they trotted into the kitchen for breakfast to find that their pets…

were _not_ there?

Vitalija inspected her food dish, there was nothing there. Her pet was usually up before nine, but he wasn’t here, and she was hungry. So they scurried up the stairs, chasing each other along the way, and Vitalija nudged the master bedroom door open all the way and jumped onto the bed, padding her way over to her sleeping pet and nudging him with her cold nose. He groaned and pushed her away a little bit before blinking awake.

“Spoiled little thing,” he smiled, reaching up with the hand that wasn’t trapped underneath a still sleeping Will to scratch behind her ear. “In a few minutes, I promise.”

As he was doing this, Winston had also jumped onto the bed and over to his own pet, licking Will’s face. Will craned his neck, swatting at him even as he laughed.

“Okay, okay, I’m up,” he said, voice tired as he turned away from his insistent dog and pressed his face against Hannibal’s neck, smiling. “Morning.”

“Good morning,” Hannibal smiles, moving his trapped arm to wrap around Will. “Would you care for breakfast?”

“Sounds good,” Will sighs, nuzzling the side of his neck. “Later, though. Come here.”

And then he reached up and pulled him into a lazy, slow kiss. Then it became two, three, four kisses with hands roving and soft sounds escaping from their lips when their dogs started whining and pawing at them, making both of the men laugh. 

Hannibal pressed his face against Will’s forehead, still chuckling softly, “They're hungry. Will you allow me out of bed to feed them?”

“Only if I get fed, too,” Will smiled.

They got up from the bed, then, putting their clothes back on and heading back downstairs for breakfast. Will had planned to go back home afterwards, but then they started another conversation, listened to some records, somehow wound up back upstairs, and then they were having dinner in bed that was basically the classiest brie on the market with crackers and wine, and then, well, it was Sunday morning and they were having breakfast together again. It was hard to go home that afternoon, but he had to get up early for work the next day.

“Oh,” he remarked, sheepishly, picking up his keys from under his coat on the floor. “I - guess I was drunker than I thought the other night.”

Hannibal smiled, pulling him in for a kiss goodbye. “Would you care to come over and enjoy a more sober evening?”

“As long as we can enjoy said sober evening in bed,” Will smirked, winking and kissing him one last time as Winston joined him at the door.

“I would hope for nothing less.”

“I changed my mind, you’re blunter when you’re drunk,” Will laughed. They said their goodbyes, and it didn’t occur to Will to check his phone until he got back home, only to find five missed calls from Beverly.

_Shit._

The phone only range twice and Will had barely made it to his living room when she answered. “Graham, where the _fuck_ are you?”

“I - I’m home, fine, what happened?”

“You have been gone all fucking weekend without a trace, I was worried. Will Graham, I’m coming over with takeout in half an hour.”

And she did, throwing chopsticks at him and glaring. “Where the fuck where you all weekend?”

“...Out,” Will said carefully, opening his carton of orange chicken. “Why do you ask?”

“You’re never gone for an entire weekend.”

“...I was busy.”

“Doing what- you were _getting busy,_ that's what you mean, don’t you?” Beverly said, her eyes getting wide as she grinned. “Tell me I’m right.”

“You’re - _hey!”_ Will exclaimed, moving away a little too slow so she caught his collar, yanking it down.

“Holy shit, it’s all over your neck!”

“...It’s a bruise?”

“Yeah, and you got them from someone’s mouth,” Beverly teased, rolling her eyes. “You fucking _dick,_ I spend _time_ and _effort_ finding you a date and here you are fu- who is she? He? Where did you meet them?”

“It’s a him. And...we met in the park.”

“And you screwed him? You met a random guy in the park and spent the damn _weekend_ with the guy? Graham, he could be a serial killer for all you know.”

“I don’t really care, Bev. And we’ve gone on a few dates, it’s not like we just-”

“You are going to sit your ass down on this couch and tell me _everything_ about this random guy in a park that managed to charm the pants off my determined loner best friend.”

Winston relaxed on his favorite blanket on the ground as he watched Will’s eyes light up as he talked about Hannibal. His pet was happy (and in love, even if Winston knew he wasn’t ready to admit it to himself yet.)

 

 

Vitalija watched Hannibal move in his sleep and reach out for the empty space beside him in bed, and she heard him mutter, _“Will…”_

 _So smitten,_ she thought smugly. _So smitten that he still hasn’t done the dishes._


	5. Chapter 5

It was a slow day at the shop, and Will was spending his time tossing a chew toy for Winston and flipping through a magazine when the bell above the door jangled, signaling the arrival of a customer.

“How are - hey,” Will smiled, getting up from his chair behind the counter as Hannibal approached him with a smile of his own. “What are you doing here?”

“I happen to be going on a fishing trip this weekend, and am in need of the proper equipment.”

“I would tell you to drop the pretentious act if we haven’t been dating for the past few months and know this is your natural form,” Will replied, coming from around the counter and helped pick out all the things Hannibal would need for their trip to his lake house this weekend. Vitalija had come in with her pet and excitedly scurried over to Winston, and both watched their pets just stare adoringly each other. Humans were cutest when they were happy.

After checking out, Will leaned over the counter and kissed Hannibal, smiling into it as Hannibal lifted his chin up with a finger to deepen it.

“I’ll see you this evening,” Hannibal said after they broke for air. It wasn’t a question, it was a statement, as Will was over more nights than not since they started to officially date. Will laughed a little, letting him kiss him again as the bell rang above the door again, and he broke away just enough to see Beverly with a mixture of surprise and utter delight on her face. Will felt himself blush slightly, even as it went away as Hannibal squeezed the hand he was holding.

“Hey, Bev,” Will said, clearing the air and choosing to just rip the band-aid off, “This is-”

“The lucky guy, huh?” she smiled, extending a hand for a handshake. “I’m Beverly Katz, his best friend since the third grade.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Katz,” Hannibal smiled back, finally letting go of Will’s hand to shake hers instead. “Will mentions you quite often.”

“Hopefully good things. And call me Beverly, please.”

“Always,” Hannibal answered back as Will rolls his eyes and his phone beeps. Hannibal checks it. “Oh, excuse me. I have an appointment in an hour and I still have a few errands to finish. It was very nice to finally meet you, Beverly. I’ll see you tonight, Will.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you later,” Will says, unable to fight the grin on his face. He would later swear that there was a flash of a wink before Hannibal gathered his bag and called for Vitalija, who was intently sniffing Beverly. And the second he left, Beverly whistled lowly.

 _“Daaaamn,_ Graham.”

“Bev-”

“Shit, I see how it is. I set you up with normal, everyday people from work, your average Joes and Janes, but I leave you on your own and suddenly you find a fucking Scandinavian-”

“Lithuanian.”

“Oh, _excuse_ me, _Lithuanian,_ _pardon me_ on the semantics, some rich _Lithuanian_ psychiatrist with a carved-out jawline and a smoky voice, and you just _found_ him in a park because your clumsy ass dragged him into a pond. What kind of fucking luck do you have?”

“The best kind,” Will stated plainly, scratching the top of Winston’s head, who would have laughed if dogs could laugh.

_I’m the one doing all the work here._

“Holy shit, he cooks, too? Damn, _and_ he’s a class act. What the _fuck,_ dude?”

“You're so angry about this,” Will laughed, unwrapping a roll of quarters for the change drawer.

“I’m just impressed. He doesn’t seem like the fishing type, though.”

“He’s not, but I'm going to the opera with him next week, so I’m compromising.”

“...what do _you_ know about opera? You don’t even know Italian.”

“This one’s in French, I took French in high school. And if I stay awake through all four acts I get chocolate mousse for dessert. And every relationship has to have some give and take.”

“Oh, of course. Do you do the giving or the taking?”

“Bev!”

“You can tell me. Oh, you switch, don’t you?”

“...you could say that.”

Beverly just shook her head in disbelief, laughing outright as she leaned against the counter. “Wow, Will.”

“What?”

“You’re so in love.”

 

 

That statement ran through Will’s head the entire rest of the day. _You’re so in love._

 _Yes you are,_ Winston thought, relaxing at home and thinking about his dear pet and how well he was doing so far. _So you both should admit it soon. And move in together, we're already there five days a week at least. Tick tock, we’re on a schedule here._

 _You’re so in love_ ran through Will’s head as he sat in a chair outside of Hannibal’s office. Was he? Honestly, he didn’t really know what that was supposed to be like, how it was supposed to-

“I’ll see you next week, Franklin,” Hannibal said as he opened the door to his office, speaking over the man’s incessant rambling, that only stopped when he noticed While sitting there.

“Who are you?” That question pissed Will off more than it should have, he shouldn't be questioned as to where he is.

And _god,_ that soft, fond look in Hannibal’s eyes as he smiled as he saw Will, and Will was suddenly struck with, _oh, fuck, I love you._

“Oh, I’m with him,” Will smiled, gesturing over to Hannibal, “We’re getting lunch.”

Franklin looked like he was going to make another comment, so Hannibal took the initiative and put on his own coat and went over and kissed Will on the cheek.

“Goodbye, Franklin,” Hannibal said again, more firmly as they left together, and as soon as they were out of earshot, Will burst out laughing, because the amount of disdain in Hannibal's voice was incredible.

“Not a fan of your patient, there, doctor?”

“I am his therapist, not his friend, he does not understand that.”

“Well, don’t worry, _sweetie,”_  Will said, with a large fake smile, as neither of them really used pet names except to tease the other (except sometimes in bed, but that was a different topic), “I’ll _happily_ come over so you can show off how much better you are than everyone.”

“I do not-”

“You do, but I-” love you anyway, Will almost said, but he caught himself and finished with, “-don’t care, I know you.”

Will wanted to melt at the next kiss pressed to his temple.

 

 

“Don’t get up.”

Hannibal smiled fondly at the man buried underneath his sheets, an arm slung across his chest in a vain attempt to keep him from getting out of the bed.

“I have an appointment, Will,” he said, moving the sheet so he could kiss him on the cheek, only for Will to reach up and wrap his arms around his neck and pulled him into a full-on kiss that Hannibal was willing to indulge in, even chuckling to himself when he pulled away first and Will practically whined.

“It’s my day off,” Will sighed as Hannibal got out of bed to put on a shirt. “Stay here, I’ll make toast.”

“As tempting as that bribe may be, I have to-”

“Please?” Will asked, pursing his lips and raising his eyebrow, and combined with the almost puppy-eyed expression, it was damn near irresistible. But Hannibal had to go, unfortunately.

“The appointment is only for two hours, and then I’ll return home for the rest of the day.”

“Not good enough.”

“Spoiled thing.”

“Hold on, that’s what you call Vitalija. And I’m not _spoiled,_ I just want what I want.”

“Please, keep convincing me to stay, it is incredibly amusing.”

Hannibal’s smirk slid off his face and he nearly dropped his tie as Will casually leaned back against the pillows and poetry rolled off of his tongue like honey.

 

_And time and time again that reading led_

_our eyes to meet, and made our faces pale,_

_and yet one point alone defeated us._

_When we had read how the desired smile_

_was kissed by one who was so true a lover,_

_this one, who never shall be parted from me,_

_while all his body trembled, kissed my mouth._

 

“Will-”

“You’re not the only one who can quote Dante in bed,” Will said innocently, a smirk of his own spreading across his face. “I’ve been practicing, I can only do the English translation, though. And if you stay here you can hear at least ten more lines.”

“...oh, you _do_ know which nerves to press,” Hannibal remarked, wrapping the tie around his neck and began tying it. “I’ll request an encore when I return home.”

Will laughed, his head hitting the headboard as he did so, and settling back down in the expensive sheets, as he watched Hannibal in a shirt and boxers, tying a tie in a stupid elaborate knot that was on purpose so Will would be frustrated later. Adn it was just so domestic, so calm, so relaxing in this little back-and-forth that he was speaking without thinking.

“I love you, Hannibal.”

That got Hannibal to not only stop tying the tie, but physically freeze up in the mirror. And then he was undoing the tie, turning around, and in three steps was back in the bed and kissing all of Will’s questions out of his mouth.

“Wait,” Will said breathlessly, after who knows how long, hands still tangled in the wrinkled starch white shirt Hannibal was wearing. “Appointment.”

“He can have a breakdown for all I care,” was Hannibal’s abrupt response. “Say it again.”

Will smiled then, kissing him softly this time. “I love you, Hannibal.”

“I love you, too, Will,” Hannibal smiled back.

 

 

Ten months of a fulfilling relationship that progressed further and further each day later, Will’s lease was up and he hadn’t signed to renew it. It was a mixture of him forgetting to ever sign off on it, and Winston’s constant efforts to chew up the renewal and eating the evidence.

And since Will spread most of his free time at Hannibal’s, the doctor had so _graciously_ offered that Will just move in. Will had agreed, and Beverly called him crazy as she helped tape up a box at his old place.

“You know, usually you wait a little longer before moving in together, aren’t you worried about getting sick of each other?”

“I’ll burn that bridge if and when we get to it,” was Will’s joking reply. “For now, I’m moving in with my partner. Be happy for me.”

“Oh, I am. So is Winston,” she remarked, pointing to where Winston had made a pile of his chew toys to be packed away. He planned to gift the blue elephant to Vitalija when they moved in.

And Winston watched as Will went into his bedroom as Beverly ordered pizza, took a small velvet box out of his sock drawer, and tucked it into his personal suitcase.


	6. Chapter 6

Will and Hannibal had been together for exactly a year and a half when Vitalija and Winston decided that they needed to get married. As quickly as possible. Yes, humans had very long and silly courtships and things like that, but enough was enough. They were absolutely perfect for each other.

It wasn’t just having dinner together and sleeping in the same bed, even though that was a lot of it.

But it was also making an effort to enjoy each other's hobbies, going to an art gallery the weekend after coming back from the lakehouse. It was the first time there was actual cheap junk food in the house. And the television was used for more than PBS Great Performances, because Vitalija had caught Hannibal watching the Food Network multiple times before Will caught him and made fun of him for weeks on end.

“I knew you would love it.”

“It’s-”

“Entertaining, because you judge the people who aren’t even in the competitions, you mutter under your breath that Rachael Ray uses too much basil.”

It was one of them falling asleep on the other's shoulder on the couch, and hands intertwined during dinner or during walks in the park. And they certainly said “I love you” enough, so there really wasn’t a reason that either dog could come up with to explain why they weren’t getting married.

After all, Hannibal had a ring hidden in one of his shoeboxes, in the walk-in closet and Vitalija had also caught him occasionally looking at it when he thought he was so sneaky. _How cute._

And there was the fact that Will had a ring hidden in his spare tackle box (he would have hidden it in the sock drawer but they shared that so he had to get creative) and he had thought about asking for a while.

So today would be the day, darn it, both dogs decided. Poor pets, they were so _slow_ to these things. They needed so much help, thank god they were in charge of them.

 

 

“Winston?” Will called, walking through the house to try to find his dog. Odd, he was usually so excited to go on a walk. And they were going to the park, he loved the park. It took longer than usual to find him, and when he finally did, he found Winston nosing at his spare tackle box. “What are you doing?”

Winston just look up innocently, then batted at the lock with his paw.

“Hey, that’s mine,” Will chided gently, moving it away but unable to help opening it to look at the ring for a minute. He’d been waiting for a good time to ask, make it special, and maybe it was too soon. But he found himself sliding it into his jacket pocket without really knowing why as he clipped on Winston’s leash. “Hey, this is our secret, okay?”

Winston licked his hand in agreement.

Upstairs, Vitalija had managed to knock the shoebox over and Hannibal had put the ring inside in his own jacket pocket before attaching her leash.

Usually walks in the park lasted for a few hours, as both dogs and their pets enjoyed these outings very much. Oftentimes, after walking up and down the trails, Hannibal would sketch as they rested on a bench and Will would play fetch with the dogs, even though occasionally one dog would bring a toy to Hannibal and he would throw one as well. And after they grew tired of that game, Will was content to let the dogs roam on their own and he’d sit on the bench with Hannibal and talk, or close his eyes and just relax.

And today was no different, except when Will sat down beside Hannibal today, they both turned to each other as if it were planned, the question right on the edge of their tongues.

“I have to ask you-” they both started to say, then stopping to laugh a little.

“You first,” Will said.

“No, after you,” Hannibal replied.

“No, seriously, you first.”

“I insist.”

They kept going back and forth and frankly Vitalija and Winston didn’t feel like dealing with their nonsense today, so she bit at her pet’s pocket as though she wanted a treat as Winston copied her action. As their pets scolded them, the little ring boxes fell out of the pockets. Both men looked especially sheepish as they picked them back up off the ground. And then they had to laugh again, and Hannibal spoke first after the laughter subsided.

“I had anticipated to make dinner and an evening out of this event.”

“Well, we first met because your dog tripped me, when has anything gone according to plan with us?”

“Vitalija is perfect, it was your dog that tripped me.”

Will rolled his eyes, grinning, as he leaned in and granted him a kiss. “You can ask me now,” he murmured.

Hannibal smiled back as he opened the box, showing the ring, “Marry me.”

“That wasn’t a question,” Will laughed, taking Hannibal’s free hand with his as he opened his own ring box.

“Shall I rephrase?”

“No, idiot, of course I’ll marry you,” Will says fondly. “But I’ll ask, then. Marry me?”

“Of course,” Hannibal smiles, stealing another kiss and there they are, kissing on a park bench in the late afternoon and he would consider stabbing anyone who interrupted this moment. He doesn’t even mind as his sketchbook falls off his lap and into the dirt.

He’s ruined a few sketchbooks since Will came into his life, and that doesn’t even phase him at this point, nothing phases him about Will anymore. But Will can still take his breath away.

Meanwhile, both dogs waited somewhat patiently for their pets to finish their little moment so they could go home and have dinner.

 

 

Well, they proposed to each other and said yes but it took four months to plan a wedding. Apparently they had a lovely one somewhere in town, with bunches of flowers and Beverly was too excited about it. And both dogs watched their pets fret for literal hours before the actual wedding (Vitalija was sure that Hannibal was going to murder the caterer) and the wedding itself was probably beautiful.

But the venue wasn’t dog friendly, and both dogs would have been more frustrated if they hadn’t been waiting for this for months and at this point we're just glad that they were finally together. They chose to spend their time napping instead until their pets got home. And then all they wanted to do was feed each other cake and drink and laugh and go back upstairs.

At least they were official now, both dogs thought.

 

 

Hannibal and Will left for their honeymoon today, and Beverly was put as their caretaker. Which was great because she always had extra treats and belly rubs behind.

“Honestly thank god they labeled your food, I can’t tell the difference between that and my leftovers,” she remarked, pulling the food out of the fridge to and then placing it in their bowls, which they eagerly devoured. “You two are the most spoiled dogs I have ever met. And yes, I will tell both of them that when they get back. Fucking Florence, damn. Hey, don't tell them, but I’m going snooping so I have more material to tease my best friend with.”

Winston and Vitalija went back to their room after their dinner, curling up in their bed, finally able to relax in the knowledge that their pets were not going to die melodramatic loners. What kept them even more amused was their vet appointment and their pets’ faces when they learned that they were expecting puppies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments and kudos galore! I love responding to them!


	7. Chapter 7

It took four months after the puppies were born that Winston and Vitalija noticed something different with their pets.

In their defense, they had been so busy with their puppies that they hadn’t noticed their odd behavior. But now there were signs that something might be afoot.

Will was doing a lot of paperwork, which he never did unless it was tax season, and that had been months ago. But now he was constantly filling out paperwork, going out and mentioning _interviews_. Winston hoped he wasn’t quitting his job and selling the business.

Hannibal, on the other hand, was cleaning out the spare room in the house, and had been for _days,_ having it repainted, adding new furniture. Constantly asking Will’s opinion on paint swatches and types of wood until Will just threw up his hands and told him that he could not see the difference between mulberry or sangria and he could just choose whatever made him happy.

Hannibal went with Tiffany blue instead and Will told him he should be glad he married him, anyone else would have blown their brains out over all of these color discussions. And yes, the cherrywood dresser compliment met the curtains nicely.

It was very bizarre, they were dancing around some topic they hadn’t discussed in front of Winston and Vitalija. Rude, so rude.

They came home one Tuesday practically buzzing with delight that transpired over dinner, speaking of plans for Saturday.

The dogs did not accompany them that day, they were slightly miffed at that, and were fully ready to be passive-aggressively upset with them when they heard the door open. Winston trotted out in order to walk by and ignore them when he stopped in the doorway.

There was a... _girl_ with them.

And she was smiling shyly as Will led her upstairs, into the spare room, and he scampered after them as she opened her suitcase on the bed.

“Awww, he’s so cute,” she smiled, reaching down to pet him. Will smiled as well.

“Yeah, he is. His name’s Winston. Hannibal’s dog is Vitalija, but she’s busy with her puppies.”

“How many?”

“Five.”

“That's a lot of dogs,” she teased. “And yet no hair anywhere.”

“Abigail, if there is a hair on the ground Hannibal gets the vacuum out. God forbid I leave a.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You get used to it,” Will siad, helping hang her jacket up on the rack by the door. “He wanted to know if you would like breakfast for dinner.”

“Sounds good,” she laughed a little. “I love pancakes.”

“If you need anything, let us know,” Will said, leaving her alone to finish unpacking and headed back down the stairs. Abigail leaned down, scratchin teh top of Winston's’ head.

“Hey, boy,” she said gently. “I’m Abigail. I’m, well, I got adopted today, so I hope you don’t mind me hanging around this place for a while.”

Winston wagged his tail happily, licking her hand and had her follow him to his room with Vitalija and the puppies. And as he watched her and the puppies all play together, he and Vitalija snuck downstairs and observed Hannibal cracking eggs in a bowl as Will poured glasses of orange juice and cracking a remark about how fussy he was about the eggshells, they add fiber, you know. Hannibal almost rolled his eyes and kissed Will gently instanced.

Their pets were happy now, both dogs thought. They hadn’t even needed to push them to get a kid of their own.

Humans were trainable, if not lovable, pets. They needed so much help, and it was a relief when they could make these decisions on their own.

And to think, all they needed to do was a little push. Into a pond, but a push nonetheless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this cute little adventure! It was so much fun to write! Come squeal on [ Tumblr ](http://somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds.tumblr.com)with me!

**Author's Note:**

> Please leaves comments and kudos galore! I love reading them and responding to them!


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